University of Ottawa honours four exceptional leaders in Toronto

Waterloo's Lisa LaFlamme is winner of this year’s Meritas Tabaret Award for Alumni Achievement

OTTAWA — The University of Ottawa is proud to recognize four exceptional individuals at the 7th edition of its Distinguished Canadian Leadership Awards. These great leaders will be honoured during a special dinner, to be held on November 25, 2009 at the Art Gallery of Ontario in Toronto.

For the first time since 2003, the gala is being held outside of Ottawa. Each year, the University awards three outstanding personalities and honours one distinguished alumnus or alumna by granting them the Meritas Tabaret Award.

This year’s three recipients all live up to the stellar standards of winners from previous years. They are internationally-acclaimed tenor and actor Michael Burgess; Gemini-winning television host, actor and writer Rick Mercer; and renowned Canadian astronaut and engineer Julie Payette. The winner of this year’s Meritas Tabaret Award for Alumni Achievement is one of Canada’s top journalists, CTV’s National Affairs Correspondent Lisa LaFlamme.

WHAT: 2009 Distinguished Canadian Leadership Awards

WHEN: Wednesday, November 25, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. (cocktail reception)

WHERE: Art Gallery of Ontario (317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, Ontario)

Please note that the Meritas Tabaret will be awarded at 7 p.m.; the dinner will be served at 7:30 p.m.; and the DCLAs will be awarded at 9 p.m.

Exceptional leadership is characterized by qualities such as the expression and execution of high purpose and service to the community at large; impact in the community which authority alone would not explain; innovative approaches to national concerns and aspirations; persistent effort and contributions to the creation of a strong sense of Canadian community.

By establishing the Distinguished Canadian Leadership Awards we captured beautifully and symbolically the essence of what we believe true leadership is and aspires to be. It also embodies our understanding of leadership in the Canadian context.

For more information about these awards, please visit the Distinguished Canadian Leadership Awards website.